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The Fire Down Below
|Season = 2 |Antagonist = Zandar and Pyro |Setting = Orestia |In-Universe Date = Year 0 |Production # = 876804 |Filming Dates = 14 July to 25 July 1995 |Original Air-Date = |Written By = |Story By = John Schulian |Teleplay By = Scott Smith Miller |Directed By = Timothy Bond |Order in Series = 22 of 111 |Order in Season = 9 of 24 |Order in Franchise= 34 of 304 |Prev Episode in Series = "The Other Side" |Next Episode in Series = "Cast a Giant Shadow" |Prev Episode in Franchise = "The Titans" |Next Episode in Franchise = "Prometheus |title cap image = }} Summary Hercules is wrestling in a charity match, which he wins, of course. A woman, Ayora, comes up to him and tries to persuade him to go with her to Orestia to see Salmoneus. Salmoneus is rolling in money and wants to share his good fortune with Hercules. Hercules refuses Ayora's enticements. Salmoneus is hauling priceless antique vases and artwork out of a cave and selling it in Orestia, at huge profits. As he leaves the cave with an especially beautiful small bronze, the cave entrance suddenly collapses behind him. Hercules finds broken pottery on the trail, as well as the owner lying under a tree that fell on him. As he releases the man, the man dies. Hercules sees a curious three-pronged mark on the vase the man had been clutching. Hercules enters a tavern and sees a man with another beautiful vase. Hercules is trying to examine the vase, but its owner takes exception and a brawl breaks out. The vase has the three-pronged mark. The man says he bought the vase from Salmoneus. Leaving the tavern, Hercules hurries past high snow-capped mountains and rivers in deep bush-clad valleys towards Orestia. A white dove lands and turns into a beautiful woman, Nemesis, carrying a bow. She approaches the cave where Salmoneus' associate Purces is supervising the removal of more treasure. She shoots arrows at his feet until he admits he has been stealing. He backs into one of the pick-swinging workmen with fatal results. "Justice has been served" says Nemesis and walks away. Salmoneus is hustled into the palace of a sinister hooded figure, Zandar, who is masterminding the art-selling operation. Salmoneus is worried by Purces death, but Zandar tells him to just get on with his selling. Later, Salmoneus is in his bath, surrounded by beautiful women. He drops strings of pearls into the water and they all jump in to get them. Hercules arrives to break up the little celebration: he tells Salmoneus that the treasure belongs to Hera, who will probably want Salmoneus dead. The legend is that when King Ores was in power, there was a rebellion against Hera: he wiped out everyone involved and Hera rewarded him with the treasure. Before Ores could get to it, Hercules helped overthrow him. Hera left the treasure where it was to test the Orestians' loyalty. On the trail, a ruffian is dragging two children away to sell as slaves when Nemesis appears and forces him with some fancy shooting to leave the children to their mother and run off. The villain wounds her slightly with his knife in the exchange. Salmoneus tells Hercules he was approached by Purces, now deceased, on behalf of "another gentleman", with a proposition to sell the treasure. Salmoneus is telling how Purces was killed by a woman who went after him with a bow and arrow, when Nemesis walks in, smiles at Hercules, then disappears. That is, Salmoneus cannot see her anymore, Hercules can. She leads Hercules on a chase through the market. Hercules surprises her and catches her, after a long kiss Hercules says "We need to talk" and pulls her off screen. Nemesis: "Talk?" Ayora is confronting Zander, who scorns her for failing to entice Hercules to Orestia. Ayora realizes Zander plans to kill Salmoneus as well as Hercules. Nemesis and Hercules reappear, Nemesis saying "You're awfully stern for someone who was having such a good time a few minutes ago", which seems to remove all doubt. Hercules says "My friend saw you", which presumably is a sign of impending doom for any mortal. Nemesis says she has not decided what to do with Salmoneus yet: though Hera sent her, Nemesis now decides for herself whether anyone deserves execution. Hercules finally notices Nemesis' hand is hurt: she says she can be hurt when in human form, which she takes when seeking the truth. She says Hercules cannot save Salmoneus this time: he must pay for his greed. She turns into a dove and flies off. As Hercules runs back he is set upon by thugs for no apparent reason: presumably employed by Zandar. Hercules rushes into Salmoneus' villa to see Nemesis pointing an arrow at Salmoneus. Hercules tells her Salmoneus did not steal the treasure, he was led to it. Hercules persuades Nemesis to check on Zandar instead. In Hera's temple, Zandar is confessing the failure of his warriors against Hercules. "They're here - both of them. Hercules to meet his death, Nemesis to determine whether she lives or dies". Nemesis is obviously on trial, though she does not know it yet. Hera gives Zandar a better weapon - Pyro, a figure of flame. Hercules tries to warn Nemesis that the gods will not let her decide who is guilty and who not. By sparing Salmoneus she may have signed her own death warrant. Nemesis ignores this and tells Hercules to take care of Salmoneus and she will take care of Zandar. Nemesis confronts Zandar, but as she goes to kill him, one of his men lassos her. Zandar tells her she has failed Hera's test and will die along with Salmoneus and Hercules. Salmoneus is trying to get the "girls" to help him take the treasure back, but they walk out on him, led by Ayora. Only Syreeta tries to comfort him, but he rejects her. In Salmoneus' villa, Hercules notices smoke coming from the cellar. He goes down the steps and is confronted by Pyro, who promises to toast Hercules as he did his family. Salmoneus runs out of his villa, into the clutches of Zandar. Nemesis, tied up in Zandar's cellar, decides she is going to have to get free the hard way. She knocks over an axe which just misses her and cuts her ropes. Hercules battles the CGI Pyro in the cellar. Zandar is going to throw Salmoneus down into the cellar when Nemesis appears and scares off his thugs. Zandar runs into the strong room and slams the brass door: Nemesis splits the door with a salvo of arrows. Zandar runs down the steps into the cellar, but Pyro fails to recognise him and turns him into a fireball. Hercules traps Pyro in a barrel and cuts off his air supply, extinguishing him. Hercules, Nemesis and Salmoneus have a happy reunion. As they walk out of the building, Syreeta is there to meet Salmoneus. She says "You look like you need a bath". Salmoneus: "My house is full of smoke". Syreeta: "Mine isn't". They walk off together. How does Salmoneus do that? Nemesis gives Hercules a goodbye kiss and flies away to find what comes next in her life. Disclaimer "No Completely-Engulfed-In-Flames-Evil-Dudes were harmed during the production of this motion picture." Gallery File:Fire_below_01.jpg|Wrestling for Charity File:Fire_below_02.jpg|Hera's Mark File:Fire_below_03.jpg|Clean Living Always Pays File:Nemesis_fire_below.jpg|Nemesis Comes for Purces File:Fire_below_04.jpg|Reunion File:Fire_below_05.jpg|Zandar and Ayora File:Fire_below_06.jpg|Zandar's Plans File:Fire_below_07.jpg|Nemesis, Don't! File:Nemesis_fire_below_02.jpg|You're Guilty File:Fire_below_08.jpg|A Sign from Hera File:Fire_below_09.jpg|Pyro Attacks Hercules File:Fire_below_10.jpg|Not On Your Life File:Fire_below_11.jpg|Lights Out, Pyro File:Fire_below_12.jpg|A Happy Ending Background Information Links and References Guest Stars * Robert Trebor as Salmoneus * Teresa Hill as Nemesis * Andy Anderson as Zandar * Emma Menzies as Serita Other Cast * Stephanie Wilkin as Ayora * Daniel Batten as Pyro * Stephen Hall as Purces * Geoff Clendon as Foreman * Roger Goodburn as Promoter * Mark Nua as Wrestler * Jon Brazier as Slave Trader * Jeff Gane as Peddler * Mary Henderson as Female Client * James Marcum as Bartender References * Orestia * King Ores * Sign of Hera Season Navigation de:Der Schatz der Hera Category:HTLJ Season 2 episodes